For once, instead of things going by at the speed of light with no way to catch up, I feel like it was a pretty evenly paced year...sorta. There were some great times and some really tough, sad times, but all in all, it was an incredible year!
It began like any other: Ringing in the new year with great friends!
Two weeks into 2011 I decided to take a Perspectives (On the World Christian Movement) class. It was basically about missions and how important the Great Commission is. It was kind of a tough time, simply because I was working all the time, but it was an amazing class and I'd recommend it to anyone!
That was also about the time I started going snowboarding again! I went boarding multiple times, as well as sledding, and even the occasional winter frisbee game. It was one of the best winters I've had, despite the cold.
March rolled around and it was Jadyn's birthday! It was her first birthday ever, even though she turned 9.
Having her with us and in our family has been such a blessing! People always ask if I really feel like she's my sister, even though she's adopted.. and I always say, "she's always been my sister, I just didn't know it for 8 years".
In June I was blessed to be able to go on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic and Haiti, through GO Ministries. It was an amazing experience!! I was introduced to a whole new way of living and I loved every minute of it and made some of the best memories ever!
Throughout July I pretty much just worked 24/7. My parents were adopting from China again and I was determined to go back with them, as I did the previous year. But this time, I wanted to stay in China longer -- three weeks is just not long enough! I wanted to stay and volunteer in an orphanage somewhere. So I found a place that need a photographer: Eagles Wings.
So, in August, not only was I blessed to get to tag along with my parents on the adoption adventure, but I was able to stay behind and volunteer at Eagles Wings!! My parents adopted two teenage girls -- Anna Xiumei (14) and Faith Yuefei (12). They're precious!
It didn't take but a few hours before I felt like they had always been with us and always my sisters!
When the time came for my parents and sisters to go home, my dad flew up to Zhengzhou with me, put me on a bus to Jiaozuo... and I was off to Eagels Wings to start my own adventure. I admit I was a bit nervous getting on that bus alone headed to who knows where, but over all, I was actually very calm and sure of what I was doing. I knew God was with me. I was excited.
I stayed at Eagels Wings for five weeks. I don't know how to explain that trip without typying up a book, so I'll just say: It was amazing, heartbreaking, touching, and simply incredible! I always feel sad to leave places, but this time it was different. I feel like I didn't just leave a piece of my heart there, but my entire heart, now shattered to pieces. I fell in love with not only the precious, innocent kids, but also the place. The city was beautiful. The people were beautiful. The language is beautiful. I felt so at home there. And when I arrived back to the States in October, things just weren't the same. Yes, I have an amazing and loving family, new sisters to get to know, things to accomplish here and new adventures to experience, but my heart longs to hug those kids again.
In October, two weeks to the day, that I arrived home from China, an amazing friend and brother in Christ, Josh, passed away. It crushed my heart even more watching him suffer his last few breaths in that hospital bed, that he hated so much. The funeral was sad, but beautiful in many ways.
I will always remember Josh's final words (that he put as his fb status), the day before he passed: "The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise him—my father’s God, and I will exalt him! - Exodus 15:2" Those words, God's words, are priceless.
Three days later another dear friend, Mary, was in a car wreck. She passed away the following evening. I felt helpless. Like everything and everyone was disappearing before my eyes.
Soon after all those crazy events, my brother Christopher announced that he was going into the Army.
I think the experience has been, and will continue to be great for him. I pray that God will keep him safe and get a hold of his heart and doesn't let go.
By Novemeber I was finally getting back into the swing of things - the food, the language, the entire culture was harder to adjust back home, than it was to in China. Anna and Faith celebrated their first Thanksgiving ever and loved it. They love it here. And we all love them!
Things were finally going back to "normal".
Finally it was December again. My bother was able to have a two week leave from BCT, and came home for Christmas. It was a great time and the year was finally coming to a close. But of course it couldn't possibly be uneventful -- Another brother in Christ, Dylan, was in a motocross accident and passed away on the 30th. What a way to end a year, huh?
There has been so much heartbreak this year.
But the good out weighs the bad, right?
Either way, God is still faithful!
New years Eve was apon us again. As always, my family had our annual 'game party' with friends. From there I went to a different party, where we celebrated the new year by taking communion and singing praises to our Lord! It was wonderful. The best way to start a new year!
So, now what? Things have come to an end for the year, but that only means we get to start a whole new beginning. The only resolution I have is to serve God and do what He asks of me.
What about you?
